We've been told that New Caledonia is like "the Whitsundays on steroids". Despite very little experience so far, we are prepared to endorse the comment. Keen to try out his new but unchristened surf board The Bloke's first choice was to head out to Signal Island close to the outer reef. The forecast didn't really favour the anchorage there so we went to Ile NGE/ Ile Laregnere instead. It had an additional benefit; it was close to the Dumbae passage into the New Caledonia lagoon and it was likely that friends aboard LaJorja who had left Brisbane 5 days earlier, were likely to sail past.
Our anchorage for 2 nights
Zofia and Tauranga at anchor
We spent a couple of rolly nights near the reef and went ashore one morning before we decided that all this rolling about was not in the brochures and we'd be on our way. With the week-end over, this popular spot with 20 moorings and beach camping allowed, was by now deserted.
We had to dodge a lot of coral to get ashore. We weren't so lucky an hour later after we'd walked around the island and nearly found ourselves high and dry. Crunch, crunch.
Clouds piled up over the Grand Terre or main Island
The centre of the island is 'fenced off'' being part of a conservation area and covered in vegetation and trees that included acacias (Sheoaks). We spotted an eagle eating a fish in it's claw near it's nest of crying chicks.
New Caledonia is home of the nautilus and other exotic shells
Very serene
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